6 of the Most Common Ghostwriting FAQs Answered: How to Gather Information from the Clients for Ghostwriting Their Books

Ghostwriters out there...whether you are a new ghostwriter or someone thinking of building ghostwriting as a career, ghostwriting may not come easy for you. 

You may have many questions boggling your mind or perhaps you have been told off by others to do something unethical. I've been there so I know exactly what you are going through.

That's why I've tried to compile a list of the 6 most frequently asked questions about ghostwriting for you in this next series of articles that I'll be posting here.

I hope they help simplify things for you a bit.

Question #1:

How do I get all the information from my client that I need to write his/her book?

Answer:

Simple, you can gather all the information you need for ghostwriting by communicating effectively with your client that you are ghostwriting the book for.

There can be several ways you can do it:

a. One-to-one meeting:

This is by-far the best form of communication as you sit with your clients and get to know them. You not only hear them out, you read their expressions, mind and body language too. As a ghostwriter, you have that natural talent to do so. That gives you all those minor details you need especially when you are writing their autobiographies. You can take down all these details as notes or record them- whatever you fancy.

The problem- the client has to be either local to you or you are willing to travel to them or you mutually decide a central meeting point such as a coffee shop to sit down and chat.

b. A remote meeting

In this global village, it has become common to work internationally. While you may be in the UK, you may have clients across the pond in Washington. How do you communicate with them then? Book a ticket to Washington? Sounds good, but it's not worth it unless your client is willing to cover the travel costs.

However, it's not hard to imagine communicating with anyone around the world these days with Google Chat, WhatsApp, Skype and so many similar video calling apps that work just like when you have a face to face meeting with such clients. 

The best part- the majority of these apps are free and even offer the option to record your chats. This helps if you miss out on taking any notes during your conversation.

You can chat over the regular phone or mobile but often it turns out to be more expensive and you never get to see each others' faces. This means while you will hear your clients out, you will miss out on reading their expressions. 

Why not go for the free video chat option when it's so easy to access for everyone these days?

c. A written conversation

Although a bit old school, another common prevalent way to communicate with your clients is through emails and text messages. Even though its outdated, I still tend to use it with my clients. This is hard for both parties as there is a lot of writing involved. 

The good bit? This saves you from taking down any other notes or recording as everything is penned down for you already. You just have to gather the information and use it as you see fit.

The bad bit? There are other drawbacks of a written conversation. 

Once again you miss out on reading the facial and body expressions and language during your conversation. 

Also, written notes can often be misinterpreted.

 The use of abbreviations so commonly used these days can, once again, make things even harder. 

For example, ISO (acronym for In Search Of) can be misread as International Organization for Standardization or vice versa. TOC (Table of Contents) can be read as Total organic carbon. 

And that's just a couple of examples.

Of course it becomes obvious while reading what these terms actually refer to but on occasions, it can be very easy to misinterpret them.

Make Sure You Have All the Information You Need

No matter what mode of communication you use, you need to communicate with your client and ask the right questions. If you do not get the answers you're seeking, it is best to create a questionnaire and send them over to fill in. This can be done electronically too in Microsoft Word, Google Docx or any other writing software you use. That is one strategy I use to get all the information I need when I feel like I do not have enough to work with.

 

Not Sure?

When in doubt, instead of making your own assumptions and creating something that the client never asked for, it is best to go back to the client. 

Two points to remember though:

• Do not hesitate to ask questions. There is absolutely no such thing as too many questions when it comes to ghostwriting for your clients. Do not think that you will bother your client by flooding him or her with your questions. You need answers and most clients will gladly answer them for you. 

• Keep your questions short and simple. Do not over complicate them and use technical jargons that will bother these clients. Many clients who will hire you for writing these books will be only because you cannot write it themselves like you can for some reason. One of these reasons can be that they are not fluent with their English, are non-native speakers or their vocabulary is limited.

I have been ghostwriting for a decade now and have not met or come across a single client who refused to answer the questions I asked. They are paying you for their work and they expect to get it done right. So, ask as many as you feel are necessary to write your book.